Sunday, June 15, 2008

There’s so much vileness here that I really don’t know what to mop up first.

Ayham Alsammarae, Iraq’s slimy ex-Minister of Electricity under the Bremer and Allawi administrations, who had escaped from an Iraqi prison by hiring an American security company to break him out back in December 2006, has resurfaced in the Jordanian capital Amman where he gave a press conference today saying, among other things, that he hoped that the insurgency in Iraq “would continue [against U.S. occupation] and avenges the Iraqi people.”

Alsammarae, an Iraqi-American Chicagoan, added during remarks carried by Radio Sawa (Arabic link) that he had contributed the maximum allowable of $2,300 to Barack Obama’s campaign. But there’s another Obama link to Alsammarae: while serving as electricity minister Alsammarae had been involved in brokering deals in the Iraqi electricity sector for Antoin Rezko, Obama’s long-term friend and patron. Rezko is the Syrian-American hustler who was convicted of fraud in an Illinois court on the day that Obama secured the Democratic nomination.

Alsammarae had been appointed minister under the Coalition Provisional Authority upon the recommendation of senior State Department officials who were involved in Iraqi affairs at the time. After leaving office upon Allawi’s election loss, Alsammarae reinvented himself as a mediator between insurgent groups and the U.S. ambassador to Iraq at the time Zalmay Khalilzad, who in turn arranged for Alsammarae, a onetime Republican Party fundraiser and activist in Arab-American circles, to meet with senior Bush administration officials. He was arrested by Iraqi police in Baghdad soon afterwards, an act that Alsammarae, a Sunni Arab, claimed was motivated by sectarian animosity.

Alsammarae escaped from prison after facing multiple corruption charges brought against him by Iraq’s Public Commission for Integrity; he was sprung from jail by hired U.S. mercenaries and left Iraq on a forged Chinese passport, he flew out to Amman on a private jet almost certainly with the knowledge and connivance of some U.S. intelligence officials. He returned to his multi-million dollar mansion in Chicago and, save for a few press interviews here and there, stayed under the radar. But Alsammarae seems to have been a beneficiary of the Amnesty Law that was recently passed by the Iraqi parliament, which was a benchmark for progress actively pushed for by Senate Democrats in Washington DC, and he’s eagerly touting his return to Iraqi politics, as he did in today’s press conference.

In an astounding and blatantly treasonous assertion for a U.S. citizenship holder, he stated that “the [insurgency] in Iraq is a legitimate resistance [movement] and it is against occupation and any resistance in the world against occupation is considered legitimate, and I hope that the [insurgency] continues and avenges the Iraqi people and I look forward to expanding its political agenda.”

I know there’s free speech and all, but isn’t calling for more attacks on U.S. troops a violation of sorts? Isn’t it ethically reprehensible? If Alsammarae’s citizenship can’t be revoked, can’t he be prosecuted on something else?

I’ve heard that Alsammarae allegedly fled Chicago because the authorities were going to get him on tax evasion. I guess his resemblances to Al Capone’s lifestyle—something that Alsammarae once boasted of in a press interview—go all the way.

Now, he wants more insurgent attacks on U.S. troops. What a slime-bucket, but he’s the same slime-bucket that I’ve always thought he was, from the days before the war when he opportunistically hopped onto the anti-Saddam bandwagon when it began revving up for real.

I had seen part of Alsammarrae’s General Intelligence Directorate file back in Baghdad, and he’s identified as a snitch that had worked for the Saddam regime while he was a student in the 1970s, reporting on the political activities and utterances of fellow Iraqi students then pursuing their degrees in the UK.

In another vein, Alsammarrae also tells Radio Sawa that he’s contributed money to the Obama campaign. I wonder how Obama would react to a paycheck and an endorsement from ex-con buddy of Rezko’s who is now braying for more American soldiers to be killed.

Alsammarrae claimed that he was on his way back to Iraq after being let off the legal hook under the amnesty law, and that he is set to re-join Ayad Allawi’s political coalition.

"I know there’s free speech and all, but isn’t calling for more attacks on U.S. troops a violation of sorts? Isn’t it ethically reprehensible? If Alsammarae’s citizenship can’t be revoked, can’t he be prosecuted on something else?"

Sorry Nibras, but leftist Americans say things like that all the time, like the Columbia professor who called for a "million Mogadishus."

Barack Obama keeps telling us that his lack of experience, and his meager legislative and executive record, is compensated by his 'good judgment'. His sole evidence for 'good judgment' is that he stood against the Iraq War. But being anti-war, and especially anti-Iraq War, was the position of the American left both before and after the war. It is clear that Obama comes from the tradition of the American left. It is also clear that the Saddam regime indirectly influenced the American left through corrupt middlemen and journalists who were paid off with oil coupons. So Obama's supposed 'good judgment' on the Iraq War would have been the automatic reaction of a leftist to war in principle, and his specific stance on Iraq could have resulted from Saddom's propagandist influence on the American left. Where was Obama's 'good judgment', his sole alleged merit, when he was hanging out with the likes of Rezko and Alsammarae? Where was his 'good judgment' during his association with a racist, hateful reverend? It is not as if these were passing aquaintances 'cause Rezko and the reverend were Obama's adoptive family in Chicago! Obama had decades during which he could have exercised his 'good judgment' to conclude that Rezko, Alsammarae, the Rev., and others were bad influences. But he only took notice when the American public took notice, that is when Americans used their own 'good judgment'. Obama's first trick was to gradually cut off his links to those bad apples. He never did it in one full swoop. His actions followed the polls: if people got pissed a little more then he would distance himself a little more. That is called 'opportunism' not 'good judgment'.'Opportunism' may get a candidate to the White House by deluding voters but Obama should stop selling the 'good judgment' angle when the evidence overwhelmingly points to the opposite. For my part, I want a president with reasonably good judgment in the White House. Obama just doesn't have it.

Why isn't the mainstream media reporting on Alsammarrae? Why was he able to remain in the US after stealing hundreds of millions from Iraq? Did Obama assist him in fleeing from Interpol?

Around the time of the dinner reception for Auchi, which Obama attended, Obama gave an interview on Chicago television stating that he was opposed to withdrawing the troops. Of course, since that time he has flip-flopped at least once. Is he in the tank for Alsammarrae and Auchi?

The MSM won't do anything to damage their star candidate. Anyone who raises questions over Obama's suspcious ties with characters like Alsammarae will be instantly blasted as "Republican smear tactic".

I heard that Ayham al-Samarra'i was convicted in a Jordanian court for three accounts of sodomy. But in Jordan when you are convicted of this crime, you receive a big gold medal. Congratulations to you, boy. Enjoy it.

Please do not abandon this story. There are more of us out here than you know who have wondered about the connection - assuming it exists - between Barack Obama and these Middle East/Chicago actors. I had given up searching for Mr. Alsammarae's name in connection with Mr. Obama, several months ago now. I am heartened that, these names are again linked in the news.

Backwater's main business is protecting "Diplomatic Types". There might be a few career state department people who are "right wing"....but as a whole I would think it tends to pull the democratic lever at election time.

Wow, hear you go again Nebras..making wide-sweeping allegations without having anything in the world to back up your statements. You really do live up to your title of "lackey", i'm sure Ahmed Chalabi is very happy to see you spin this story the way you have. You've single handedly taken all the allegations attributable to Chalabi, and instead thrown them on someone else. Chalabi is accused of stealing millions of dollars from the bank he opened in Petra, Jordan. He is well-known to have very strong ties and support within the US regime--ties which have helped him evade having to face a Jordanian judge! And more over, not only got him out of ever going to see a judge, but got the Jordanian King Abdullah to pardon him! This is just some fantastic spin doctoring..I hope Chalabi gave you the gold star you've been yearning for.

May I just say, bravo nebras! You have proven to Ahmed Chalabi that you're the most valuable lackey he's ever had. To single handedly take all the allegations and all the names Chalabi has been called over the years and attribute it all to Alsammarae instead, well that's just the best spin-doctoring I've ever seen.

Let's just take a look at the facts here:1. Chalabi is wanted in Jordan for stealing millions of dollars from the Petra Bank in the late 1970's. He never so much as showed up to a single court proceeding!He upped and left Jordan to settle in the UK, despite that a warrant for his arrest was out. In fact, to this day he'd still be wanted by the Jordanians had American pressure (thanks to his strong ties with the DoD and State Dept)not been exerted to have them pardon him.

2) As stated above, Chalabi has been the darling, 1st of the CIA--til he fell out of favor with them. 2nd by the State Dept, till he too fell out with them. And thirdly and lastly, Chalabi is now the darling of the department of defense. You know he's been on the US govt's payroll since the early 1990s? Well, of course you'd know that--thanks to american tax dollars, your salary as "head of research at the INC" was paid. Anyway, he was on the US payroll because we thought the INC would supply us with fantastic intelligence on Iraq--you guys didn't though. And all those stories of WMDs that Chalabi, you and the rest of the guys at the INC gave us turned out to be completely false--and all that money, well, who knows where that's gone. But whatever, we can all turn the other cheek right? And we did..and now Chalabi is riding high over Iraq, literally, in black hawk helicopters-sitting side by side with 4star generals.

But you've managed to deflect this image of the corrupt, criminal with ties to the 'powers that be' that Chalabi has rightly gained over the years..and instead knock Aiham Alsammarae down with it. All to settle a personal political score.

1) Aiham Alsammarae, unlike Mr Chalabi--went to the Iraqi court to face his charges. He didnt run from them or ask the Americans to push the PM to pardon him. He went back to Iraq of his own accord, he fought the charges, and won on appeal..see http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0612190152dec19,1,1068977.story?coll=chi-news-hed

2)These charges center around the purchase of a $200,000 generator used in the Maysan Province-stating that he was not authorized to make this purchase. There was no allegation that he even took this money. So the claim he stole "hundreds of millons dollars" or "2 billion dollars" you repeatedly quote is beyond me. I know you can hide behind the iraqi spokesmen and say well the 'iraqi government told us that'..but from what I see on the rest of this site, you dont seem to be the type of guy who just repeats things that make no sense? Well, unless it's in your favor, i guess..

3) If he had the strong ties to the US, or someone "protecting him" as you claim. Well, he'd be living like Chalabi--he wouldn't have spent even one day in detention (he spent nearly 5 months held up), and you'd have seen PM Maliki get out on tv and pardon him.

Perhaps when you're writing this you're trying to settle a political score for the INC? Everyone knows Alsammarae and Chalabi are political enemies. That hardly seems suitable however, for a fellow at the hudson institute...but then again, you throw around libel like "slime bucket" like we're at some uncensored political debate and it makes me feel like you're really doing your best to settle a score rather than educate.

[Alsammarae, who holds dual U.S.-Iraqi citizenship, thinks he can win in Iraq’s 2010 elections with a dose of Chicago-style politics. Over the past few months, he has quietly traveled to the city of Samarra and says he has won pledges of support from tribal leaders representing more than 20,000 voters.

He figures 50,000 votes will win him the seat.

“We have to do it the Obama way. We are trying to send a message of change. We will clean up the system,” Alsammarae says during an interview here in the Jordanian capital about his election plans.

And part of the Obama way is a big web effort:

Part of Alsammarae’s campaign money is being used to pay several Iraqi college students living in Jordan to “improve” his reputation on Iraqi blogs, where he is often pilloried with accusations of corruption.

At a recent meeting with some of the students, Alsammarae praised one young man for responding to a posting that blasted him. The student, Ali Koperly, 22, wrote on the blog that Alsammarae did a good job rebuilding Iraq’s electrical grid.

“We have to show the corruption of thecurrent Iraqi government,” Koperly said.

Alsammarae has traveled to Iraq on several occasions in recent months, but he says he’ll stay clear of Baghdad until he wins a seat in parliament. After all, he says he still has enemies in the current government that he says would like to see him behind bars.

“I have to be careful,” Alsammarae says. “You never know if this government will try to make up some new charges against me.”